President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi affirmed that Egypt will continue to provide all forms of support to the brotherly Iraq, stressing that Egypt highly values the efforts and sacrifices the Iraqi people have made to face the challenges it faced, adding that Cairo rejects any foreign interference in Iraq's internal affairs. Speaking at the second session of the Baghdad Conference for Cooperation and Partnership in Jordan on Tuesday, Al-Sisi praised Iraq's efforts to launch reconstruction projects, stressing that Egypt will help the Iraqi people and their aspirations to become one of the fortresses of Arabism, reiterating Egypt's commitment to the principles of good neighbourliness. The president also said that the second session of the conference comes after the first session was held in Baghdad in August 2021 to support the national efforts of the Iraqi government and people to preserve its stability and enhance its active regional and Arab role. He added that the conference coincides with the improvement of the situation in Iraq, reiterating Egypt's full support for all tireless efforts that contribute to consolidating the concept of the state, stable patriotism, and security. Furthermore, Al-Sisi pointed out that the crises witnessed by many countries in the region have proved that achieving stability requires strengthening the national state, the rule of law, protecting the capabilities of peoples, sustainable development, and consolidating the pillars of good governance. He added that Egypt participated with Iraq and Jordan in launching the trilateral cooperation mechanism to strengthen relations, stressing the determination of the three countries to implement joint projects within the framework of that mechanism. Additionally, the president said that the convening of the Baghdad Cooperation and Partnership Conference carries with it an important political significance and a sincere desire to move to a new stage of partnership by strengthening work in bilateral or multilateral cooperation frameworks, such as the mechanism of trilateral cooperation between Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, or others. He added that the meeting is also an opportunity to exchange views and explore new horizons for coordination and cooperation. "The session aims to support Iraq's march towards stability in a way that strengthens capabilities in facing challenges related to international crises and subsequent cross-border challenges in the fields of health, food security, energy, supply chains, and what achieves the interests of our peoples," he noted. In this regard, Al-Sisi reiterated Egypt's intention to move forward in the implementation of the joint projects currently being studied within the framework of the mechanism in a way that contributes to the achievement of the hoped-for development of both peoples and allows them to benefit mutually from each other's capabilities. For his part, King Abdullah of Jordan said that the holding of the Baghdad conference on cooperation and partnership reflects the special status of the brotherly people of Iraq to Jordan. He added that the conference represents an opportunity to build on the outcomes of the Baghdad conference on cooperation and partnership, which was held last year, and reaffirm our support for Iraq's efforts to continue its march towards development and prosperity and enhance its security, stability, and respect for its sovereignty. "We believe that the region needs stability, a just and comprehensive peace and regional cooperation, especially in the economic and development fields to address the issues of poverty and unemployment... facing our common challenges requires collective action, the positive effects of which will be felt by our peoples," he added. The king also said that it is necessary to mention the cooperation projects between Jordan and Iraq in addition to other Arab brothers, whether in the energy, industry, or transportation sectors, which were strengthened through the mechanism of trilateral cooperation between Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq. For his part, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shiaa Al-Sudani said that the idea of establishing the Baghdad conference stems from Iraq's desire to establish and strengthen the bases of cooperation and partnership with neighbouring and friendly countries. "We are meeting in Amman and hope to move towards strengthening the march of relations between our countries in various fields, developing their pace in a way that contributes to laying the foundations for stability and development in the region, and opening a wide scope for dialogue and discussion to exchange views and deepen concepts," Al-Sudani said. He pointed out that "his government adopts an open approach aiming to build regional and international partnerships based on common interests, including the establishment of integrated strategic projects to link Iraq with its regional surroundings." "The government is working hard to improve the investment environment in Iraq in terms of legislation, procedures, and guarantees to enable investors to enter Iraqi markets and take advantage of the great opportunities in them." Additionally, the Iraqi PM said that the appropriate investment environment needs to restore security. The conference is held with the participation of Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Turkey, Iran, and France, and addresses five prominent files, foremost of which are the situation in Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria; the fight against terrorism; food and energy security; and the Iranian nuclear file. The conference aims to build on the results of the first session of the Baghdad conference, which was held in August 2021 in the Iraqi capital, by discussing ways to enhance the path of constructive dialogue to solve problems in the region and create appropriate conditions for establishing partnership and economic integration between Iraq and neighbouring and friendly countries.
